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Caitlin Pontrella 11/1/16 Caitlin Pontrella 11/1/16

Differences in Play: How our ideas of play differ with demographics, and how those differences are manifested in design

When you look then, at these two spaces, playgrounds and fitness parks, you will see two drastically different ideas on what 'play' is.

We all recognize the importance of play for children. New York City alone is home to hundreds of children’s playgrounds–adventure and imagination playgrounds, modern designs, interactive sculptures, nature inspired, wood constructions, loose parts, prefab structures, and more. The city seems to be devoted to designing, building, and renovating new & interesting places for children to play.

But what about all those teenagers and adults?

For some reason children are the only ones allowed to indulge in play, according to society. Teenagers and Adults who attempt to engage in some form of childhood play are dismissed as unproductive, self-indulgent, and immature; and are told to ‘grow up’ and be more responsible. There must be structure and goals.

And, sadly, the city and society seems to agree by its construction. Sure, there are hundreds of playgrounds, but how many are adults allowed to use? And those that ARE designed for adults, what do they say about our expectations when it comes to adult play?

Let’s take a look at an example that will reflect the city at large–Central Park. In Central Park there are 21 designated playgrounds (https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/facilities/playgrounds). Of those 21, however, a grand total of 0 are allowed to be used by teenagers or adults. Instead, for adults, the park provides basketball and tennis courts, recreation centers, and soccer fields--all highly structured activities either requiring equipment or membership. The closest thing to a playground that adults receive is a fitness park--just 1--which is a series of pull up bars and sit up stations.

And, when you look then, at these two different spaces for play, you will see two drastically different ideas on what 'play' is.

For children, play is imaginative, creative, and open ended. There are no guidelines on how to use the equipment (though most contemporary out-of-the-box systems certainly have movement expectations built in--for another time). There are bright colors, there are large structures, there are moving parts, sand, blocks, water, etc.
For adults, it is goal-oriented, structured, and well-established. Each piece is isolated, with instructions and directions. There is no room really for free thought beyond how many reps am I doing. Everything is contained, stable. Pull up station, sit up station. Balance here, specifically, but not really anywhere else.

It is established that adults need play as much as children in order to nourish and support their mental, physical, cognitive, and social health---so why are our spaces so drastically different?

Caitlin Pontrella 10/31/16 Caitlin Pontrella 10/31/16

Grounds for Play: Towards a Ludic Architecture

This November, I will be daily releasing a series of short reflections as I organize my thoughts, research, and ideas about the American Playground and its place in the future of urban and public spaces.

Specifically I will be trying to (1) document the history of the playground in the modern era, (2) examine physical spaces from which games, play, and ludic behavior have naturally emerged over time, (3) inventory exemplary cases, on both extremes of success and failure, (4) explore potential principles for designing play into public spaces, and (5) argue for the elimination of the playground as an autonomous, isolated, and un-integrated space in our cities.

This will culminate in a guidepost, a set of principles and recommendations--a manifesto for the next great american playground, and the future of play in our urban fabric.

Inventory of Posts:

(Nov1) Differences in Play: How our ideas of play differ with demographics, and how those differences are manifested in design

Current Questions:

This section is a sort of dumping grounds for questions and ideas I wish to explore. This is a 'living' post and will be updated regularly as the month moves along.

How do we define play, playground, and play-ground?
How do these definitions change when cross-sectioned with demographics, and how are these differences in definition and expectation manifested in design?
What is a ludic space, what are our goals, and how do we measure its 'success'.
What are the most common features of oustanding ludic spaces? Failing ones?
What are our major influencing factors involved in whether or not it is a 'success'.
- Cultural influences
- Player / Emotional background
- Physical dimensions
The Age of Guerrilla Play; How our bad decisions in design has lead to the re-appropriation of public space and a counterculture of movement.

Caitlin Pontrella 2/3/16 Caitlin Pontrella 2/3/16

Aldo van Eyck - Playground as a place for the entire community.

Eyck designed and oversaw the construction of numerous playgrounds in the Netherlands. His attention to the human scale & personal experience is delightful, as well as his attempt to blend play into the every day city.

To consider the city is to encounter ourselves.
To encounter the city is to rediscover the child.
If the child rediscovers the city,
the city will rediscover the child –ourselves.
-- Van Eyck, 2008 [1962]:25

Oosterpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands — Oosterpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Eyck is a dutch architect who paid particular attention to the emotional & socio-cultural impacts of architecture & space. He created street and playground infrastructure that was ambiguous in use, and regularly took into consideration the other user groups (teens, adults, elderly).

This image just below starts to connect with me. Though underdeveloped, and quite small, it was crafted with all of the potential users in mind. It is a space for play, as well as relaxing and passage. All ages could find use here. Playgrounds disguised/build into the every day.

“According to van Eyck, urban playing equipment should be part of the city to the point of disappearing into everyday life and becoming ubiquitous, as it happens with telephone cabins, benches or posts.”

- Nicolas Stutzin

Again, I think it really is Eycks approach and thoughtfulness that sets him apart in his designwork, and his writings are well worth getting your hands on. There are a few books out on his work including Seventeen Playgrounds by Denisa Kollarova and Anna van Lingen (which I have on order). His own work, The Playground and the city, is hard to get a hold of save for your library... so go check it out!

Bonus Reading & Sources:

https://walkonwildsideanna.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/aldo-van-eyck-the-playgrounds-and-the-city/

https://childrenoftechnology.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/aldo-van-eyck-the-playgrounds-and-the-city/

https://merijnoudenampsen.org/2013/03/27/aldo-van-eyck-and-the-city-as-playground/

Caitlin Pontrella 11/1/15 Caitlin Pontrella 11/1/15

Park Hill Estate by Lynn and Smith

Park Hill estate, Sheffield, 1963. Part of the Park Hill estate, designed by Jack Lynn and Ivor Smith, who were tutored by the Smithsons – the founders of new brutalism. The estate was famous for its experimental ideas, like walkways in the sky, and that approach was reflected in the playground. Photograph: Arch Press Archive/RIBA.

Park Hill, Sheffield - 1963. Image © Arch Press Archive RIBA Library Photographs Collection

Caitlin Pontrella 3/20/14 Caitlin Pontrella 3/20/14

Adults, Playgrounds, and the City

Musings on the state of play for teenagers and adults in New York City, in regards to policy, play spaces, and programming.

PART 1

But what about all those teenagers and adults?

Let’s take a look at an example that will reflect the city at large–Central Park. In Central Park there are 21 designated playgrounds. Of those 21, however, a grand total of 0 are designed for the use of teenagers or adults. (There is ‘fitness equipment’ available for use, but we’ll get into that in a second.) Adults could of course try to creatively re-purpose the children’s playgrounds for their own use, but take heed. Those who venture into children’s playgrounds will most likely be slapped with dirty looks and comments from parents, be questioned of pedophilia, and privy to an outcry of concerns for the safety of the children. Oh, and did I mention, they probably will get a ticket too? Most of the playgrounds citywide allow adults only when accompanied by a child under the age of 12. (1). Thus get caught trespassing sans-children and risk getting a citation. (Re: Women ticketed for eating donuts, Men ticketed for playing chess) Welcome to your NYC Playground!

Yet, for those of us who do find ways and places to regularly engage in play, there is no doubt that we are rewarded with a better quality of life. Beyond the obvious increase in physical fitness & health, we also find that our stress levels drop, we learn to engage and interact with others more easily, and we begin to see opportunities in places we would otherwise have overlooked. Play contributes to our development as individuals.

And of course the City has woken up and taken notice of the importance of getting up and out on your feet (2). NYC annually provides numerous campaigns, programs, and facilities to assist adults (and children, of course), in building & leading an active, healthy lifestyle. However, they seem to be running up against the same wall with each solution. A gym is not the same thing as a playground, and does not offer the same set of complex benefits.

PART 2

In 2012 NYC opened its first official ‘adult playground’ and has plans to build two dozen more by the end of 2014 (3). However, calling them playgrounds is a gross exaggeration. That ‘adult playground’ is nothing more than an outdoor gym, with isolated stations and plastic signs telling you what you should be doing and where and how. Pull-ups here, situps there, balance on this one beam and this one beam alone. No problem solving required, no creativity needed, no room for exploration or collaboration… no fun, no freedom. The only two benefits I see is that it is free to use and smells significantly better than a box gym

Teenagers are faring a little better, but just barely. There is the development of a playground at Hudson Yards, but its completion is set way out in 2015, and what it ends up offering is yet to be seen. For those who enjoy skateboarding, there are numerous skateparks open to the public, though it should be noted that their use is contingent upon the signature of a waiver and specific equipment requirements. But if skating isn’t you’re thing, then you’re as well off as the rest of the adult population.

Thus there is no denying that in the City and Society today, there is a unacceptable and near complete lack of opportunity for teenagers and adults to engage in free, unstructured, creative play. When you go to a park, your options are to walk, on this path or that one, or to sit on a bench, in the shade or the sun, or to buy a vendor hot dog & people watch. There are tons of bike paths if you’re able to afford a bike, or you could throw a ball in the field, if you’re allowed on the grass, so long as you don’t disturb your neighbors.

And, well, with those as your best options, it should be no surprise to hear that in NYC more than 1/2 the adult population is either overweight or obese(4)(5). One could easily tie to the cause the fact that the opportunities that are available to get moving are too expensive, difficult, competitive, or, to put it plainly, not a whole lot of fun. Fitness & play needs to be more than gym workouts, expensive specialty classes, long walks in the park, and competitive team sports.

To put the long story short–we don’t need more gyms and classes in our city; we need more playful, adult infrastructure. We need infrastructure that is complex, inter-generational, and flexible, that allows adults & teenagers to develop and explore their own open-ended challenges. We need a place that is safe, welcoming, accessible, and fun. …And We need to stop looking at play as a distraction or diversion from reality, but rather as an integral element of our continual, healthful development.

CITATIONS

1 “§1-05 Regulated Uses.” New York Parks & Recreation. NYCDPR. Web. 20 Mar 2014. <http://www.nycgovparks.org/rules/section-1-05>.
2 “Priority Area: Physical Activity and Nutrition.” New York State Department of Health. Web. 20 Mar 2014. https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/physical_activity_and_nutrition/
3 “New York Introduces Its First Adult Playground.” New York Times. Winnie Hu. Web. 20 Mar 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/nyregion/new-york-introduces-its-first-adult-playground.html?pagewanted=all
4 “Obesity.” New York City Department of Health. Web. 20 Mar 2014. http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/living/obesity.shtml
5 “BRFSS Brief: Overweight and Obesity, NYS Adults 2011.” New York State Department of Health. Web. 20 Mar 2014. http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/brfss/reports/docs/1304_overweight_and_obesity.pdf